Braiding machine



April 2, 1629.

O. A. FREDERICKSON BRAIDING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 15, 1927 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Eye 42' JP om 4 7pm ATTORNEY April 1929. I o. FREDERICKSON 1,707,718

She Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 2, 1929.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO A. FBEDERICKSON, OF WETHERSFIELD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE WIRE- MOLD COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

BRAIDING MACHINE.

Original application filed January 15, 1927, Serial No. 161,303. Divided and this application filed September 7, 1927.

This invention relates to braiding machines of the type employing inner and outer yarn carriers, and more particularly to improvements in the inner yarn carriers. The present application is filed as a division of the Frederickson application, Serial No. 161,303, filed January 15, 1927.

In the general type of braiding machines to which the present invention relates the inner yarn carriers are supported at their opposite ends so that they will travel around the braiding point with a minimum amount of friction. The driving means for these inner carriers act upon the carriersnear their outer ends with the result that the inner ends of the carriers tend to lag behind, and if permitted to do so will interfere with the travel of the outer braiding strands to the braiding point.

An important feature of the present invention therefore resides in novel means for retaining the inner carriers accurately in place so that their inner ends. are prevented from lagging behind.

Other features of the present invention reside in a housing provided upon thev inner carrier to exclude dirt and lint from the pushed wheel rotatably mounted upon the carrier, and in improvements in the thread guides upon the inner carriers.

The above and other features of the inven-v tion will be best understood from the following description whenread in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating "one good practical form of the invention.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View through a braiding machine embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale is a vertical sectional view through portion of an inner carrier and associated parts;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of tion of the braiding machine section; and

' Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the inner yarn carriers.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the operating parts are carried by the frame or table 10 which is supported the desired distance from the floor by the usual legs (not shown), and this table is provided with'a central hub 11 which is connected to the table 10 by the spokes or an outer porwith parts in shaft 13, and to the a driving pulley 23 Serial No. 217,954.

arms 12. WVithin' the hub 11 is mounted a fixed hollow shaft 13 which may be rigidly secured within the hub and this shaft forms the central axis about which the operating parts of the braiding machine revolve.

Within the annular frame or table 10 is rotatably mounted the outer revolving drum 15 provided with the hub portion 16 which is secured to the outer portion of the drum by the horizontally extending flanges 17. 'Within the hub 16 is mounted a hollow rotating shaft 18 which is journaled upon the fixed upper end of the rotating shaft 18 is rigidly secured the driving frame 19 which is adapted to drive the inner yarn carriers. f A driving gear 20 is secured to the under ace revolving drum and a similar gear 21 is secured to the lower end of the revolving shaft 18. The outer revolving drum 15 and driving frame 19 are rotated in opposite directions by the pinion 22 which is rigidly secured to and is driven by the power shaft 23. This shaft is journaled in bearings upon the supporting frame 10 and may be rotated by in the usual manner.

e outer revolving'drum 15 is provided with the usual thread receiving slots 24 through which the strands of yarn fromthe outer carriers pass to the braiding point and at the upper end of the outer revolving drum is mounted the top ring 25 upon which are mounted the outeryarn masses 26. In the construction shown the outer yarn masses 26 are supported by the upstanding brackets 27 and these brackets are provided with upwardly extending arms 28 which serve to support the thread guide ring 29 about which the strands are drawn as they are unwound from the yarn masses. At the inner face of the outer revolving drum 16 is provided a grooved runway 30 adapted to receive projections or sliding shoes provided at the outer end of each inner yarn carrier.

The inner yarn carriers may have the general construction best shown in Fig. 4 wherein it Will be seen that the carrier consists of a hollow frame 31 adapted to receive the inner yarn mass Each inner yarn carrier-is supported at its inner end by a roller 33 which rests upon a fixed ring or runway 34 that is fastened to the disk or frame 35, which frame 11 by the set screw 14,

of the flanged portion 17 of the outer naled in bearing brackets 39, and these brackets are mounted upon the rotating disk or frame 19. Each disk 37 engages a pushed wheel 40rotatably mounted upon a frame 31 of an inner carrier and the disk 37 serves to push the carrier forward in a well known manner. The inner end of each stub shaft 38 is provided with a bevel gear 11 which meshes with the toothed under face of the fixed disk 35, the construction being such that the driving disk 37' is positively rotated to facilitate the passage of the outer strand of yarn 42 between the cooperating wheels 37 and d0.

- As above stated,.since the driving force is exerted upon the inner yarn carriers near the wheel rotates.

their outer ends the inner ends of these carriers may tend to lag behind and an important feature of the present invention resides in a novel construction whereby the lagging of the inner ends of the carriers is prevented. This is accomplished in the construction shown by providing the frame 31 of each inner yarn carrier with a block 13 the inner face dd of which is curved to conform to the outer curved face of an apron that projects downwardly from the top ring 25. This block 43 is relatively long, as will be apparent from Fig. 4-, and as a result provides a bearing face let of su'liicient length to positively retain the inner carrier in place so that its inner end is prevented from lagging behind. In the construction shown the hear-- ing block 43 serves not only to positively maintain its carrier in its proper position, but serves also to form a housing over the upper portion of the pushedwheel lO, as will be apparent from Fig. 2, wherein it will be seen that the block 43 is provided withthe clearance'space 46 in which the upper portion of This housing serves to prevent dirt and lint from lodging upon the pushed wheel 40, thus helping to keep the cooperating surfaces of the wheels 37 and 40 clean and improves the operation of the braiding machine.

I ASlS usual in the type of braiding machine to which the present invention relates, the formation of the braid is effected by causing the inner carriers to pass alternately under and over the outer strands 42. This is accomplished in the construction shown by mounting the fixed deflector plates 47 upon the braiding machine frame 10 so that as the outer revolving drum 15 rotates the outer strands of yarn 42 will be forced upwardly by the deflector plates at? so that when a strand 42 is raised by one ofthese deflector plates, the inner yarn carrier will pass under the same, as shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 1 of the drawing, while the inner yarn carriers will pass over the strands 4-2 which are not elevated by the'defle'ctor plates 47. Eac inner yarn carrier is provided at its outer end with a deflector plated-8 the leadingend or nosedS of which is sufficiently elevated to pass over an outer strand is wien the same is supported in stretched condition between the braiding point and guide 50 mounted upon the outer revolving drum 15, but when a'strand e2'is elevated by a deflector L7 tl e nose 49 will pass under such strand.

One of the features of the present invention resides in the construction of the deflector plate 48 wherein the same is-provided with a bulging portion 51 which extends downwardly'to approximately the plane of or slightly below the lower face of the pushed wheel it), the construction being such that the bulging portion 51 of the guide, will serve to direct an outer strand 12 under the rotating wheel 40. Y Y i Another feature of the present invention resides in the construction of one of the Side walls of the frame 31 of the inner carriers, whereby a, more uniform tension is maintained upon the inner strand 52 as it unwinds from the yarn mass 32. As will beapparent from Fig. 4, as a strand of yarn 52 unwinds from the yarn mass it passes around a thread guide 53 disposed about half-way between the ends of the yarn mass, and theside wall of the frame 31 upon whic-hthe guide 53 is mounted has its upper edge curved as indicated at 54, so that itprovides a thread guiding edge that liesapproximately concentric with the axis of the threadguide 53, and as a resultof this construction a substantially uniform tension will be maintained upon the thread 52 while it travels back and forth along the yarn mass as it unwinds from the same. The thread 52 in assing from the thread guide 53 to the braiding point serves to support the electric stop mechanism 55 which may be of well known construction. The outer strands ofyarn 42ers led from the yarn masses 26 around the guide ring 29 and down througlrguide slots 56 formed in the top ring 25, and each thread passes from the guide 56 to a take-up spring 57 fastened to a guide rod 50, as will be apparent from Fig. 3 of the drawing.

In the construction shown the braiding die 58 through which the braid 59 passes is not supported by a fixed arm, as has been customary heretofore, but is supported by the bridge bar 60 that extends across the braiding machine and the opposite ends of this bar are secured to the top ring 25, the arrangelie ment being such that the bridge bar 60 and braiding die 58 secured thereto will rotate with the outer revolving drum 15. This constitutes a simple construction for supporting the braiding die, and eliminates the use of a fixed supporting arm for the braiding die such as has been employed heretofore.

\Vhatis claimed is 1. A braiding machine comprising in combination, an outer revolving drum provided with outer yarn carriers, inner yarn carriers supported within said drum for movement relatively thereto about the central axis of the machine, an upper ring mounted upon said drum .and having a downwardly extending annular apron disposed over the inner carriers, and a bearing block on an inner carrier and having a bearing surface shaped to conform to the curvature of said apron and adapted to hold the inner carrier accurately in its operating position. 1

2. A braiding machine comprising in combination, an outer revolving drum adapted to support outer yarn" carriers and having a run-Way at its inner face, inner yarn carriers supported to travel along said run-way about the central axis of the machine, an upper ring mounted on said drum and having a downwardly extending annular apron disposed over the inner carriers, and a bearing block provided on an inner carrier and having a bearing surface positioned to engage said apron and adapted to hold the inner carrier in radial alignment with the axis of the machine.

3. A braiding machine comprising in combination, an outer revolving drum adapted to support outer yarn carriers and having a runway at its inner face, inner yarn carriers supported to travel along said run-Way about the central axis of the machine, an upper ring mounted on said drum and having a downwardly extending apron disposed over the inner carriers, and a bearing surface provided upon an inner carrier at the opposite sides of its longitudinal axis and adapted to engage said apron and hold the inner carrier so that its inner end cannot lag behind.

4. A braiding machine comprising in combination, an outer revolving drum adapted to support outer yam carriers, inner yarn carriers supported at their opposite ends within said drum, means for driving the carriers to form the braid, an annular apron supported by said drum to extend downwardly over the inner carriers, and a bearing surface provided upon an inner carrier to engage said apron and constructed to hold the carrier accurately in place.

5. A braiding machine comprising in combination, an outer revolving drum adapted to support outer yarn carriers and having a run-way at its inner face, inner yarn carriers supported at their inner ends and having projections at their ends engaging said runway, an annular apron supported by said drum to extend downwardly toward said inner carriers, and a bearing surface upon the inner carriers and constructed to engage said apron and hold the inner carrier accurately in place.

6. A braiding machine comprising in combination, an outer rey olving drum adapted to support outer yarn carriers and having a run-way at its inner face, inner yarn carriers .supported to travel along said run-way about the central axis of the machine, a revolving pushed wheel upon the carrier to propel the the same, an upper ring mounted on said drum and having a downwardly extending apron, and a housing mounted upon the carrier to enclose the upper portion of the pushed wheel and provided with a curved bearing surface adapted to engage said apron and constructed to hold the carrier in place.

, 7. A yarn carrier for the inner yarn mass of a braiding machine, comprising in combination, a frame for supporting the inner yarn mass, a thread guide mounted upon said frame intermediate the ends of the yarn mass and a thread guide plate upon the frame and over which the thread is drawn as it passes from the yarn mass to said guide and provided with a thread guiding edge that is formed approximately concentric with said thread guide to maintain a substantially constant tension upon the unwinding thread.

8. A yarn carrier for the inner yarn mass of a braiding machine, comprising in combination, a frame for supporting the inner yarn mass, a pushed wheel rotatably mounted upon said frame to propel the same, a deflector mounted upon said frame and having a lower edge that projects downwardly below the plane of the lower periphery wheel. to direct the strands carriers beneath said wheel.

9. A yarn carrier for the inner yarn mass of a braiding machine, comprising in combination a frame for supporting the inner yarn. mass, a pushed wheel rotatably mounted upon said frame to propel it, a deflector mounted upon said frame and having a downwardly extending portion adapted to direct the strands from the outer carriers beneath said wheel.

10. A braiding machine comprising in combination, outer and inner yarn carriers, a revolving outer drum upon which the outer yarn carriers are mounted, means for traversing the drum and inner carriers in opposite directions, a braiding die for defining the braiding point, and a bridge bar secured to said drum to rotate therewith and constructed to support the die and rotate it with the outer drum.

11. A braiding machine comprising in combination, outer and inner yarn carriers, a revoliing outer drum upon which the outer yarn carriers are mounted, means for traversfrom the outer of the pushed ing the drum and inner carriers in opposite directions, a braiding die for defining the braiding point, and a bracket for supporting said die from the revolving drum.

n 12. A braiding machine comprising incombinaiion, an outer revolving drum provided with outer yarn carriers, inner yarn carriers supported Within said drum for movementrelatively there-to about the central axis of W the machine, an upper ring mounted upon said drum and having a downwardly extending annular apron, and a bearing element upon each inner carrier disposed at the 0ppesite sides of the longitudinal-axis of the carrier and positioned to cooperate with said 10 apron to hold the carrier accurately in its operating position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification. OTTO A. FREDERICKSON. 

